SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all, I'm Erin Haynes. I'm the editor-at-large for The 19th News, a nonprofit newsroom reporting
on gender, politics, and policy. We look at where our democracy remains unfinished, where
women, people of color, and queer people are still not included. And later this month,
I'll be your host for a brand new podcast from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network, called The Amendment. More on that soon. But for now, I'm excited to be your guest host
for this month of Womanica. This Black History Month, we're talking about revolutionaries,
the Black women who led struggles for liberation from violent governments, colonial rulers, and enslavers. These women had the courage to imagine radically different worlds, and
they used their power to try and pull those worlds into view. Today, we're talking about
a legendary woman who resisted slavery and colonial rule to become a heroine of Haitian independence. Her story is woven into the fabric of Haitian culture. Please welcome
Catherine Flawn. Catherine Flawn was likely born during the mid-18th century in RKE Haiti.
At a young age, Catherine discovered a love of sewing. She turned that passion into a
career and opened a sewing workshop for girls in her hometown. She also worked as a nurse.
Around town, Catherine was known for both her serious demeanor and her generosity of spirit. When help was needed, Catherine was there. She was also known for being the goddaughter
and assistant to Jean-Jacques Dessalines, one of the founding fathers of the Haitian
Revolution and the first ruler of the independent republic of Haiti. Because Jean-Jacques came
to Haiti as a slave, we can surmise that Catherine may have been the daughter of enslaved people.
During this time, Haitian society was heavily divided by class, gender, and skin color.
This division caused conflicts between enslaved Haitians, mixed-race people, and the armies
of British and French colonizers. These inevitably evolved into a full-scale revolt.
Then came 1791, the beginning of the Haitian Revolution. There were a few contributing
factors to the rise of the Revolution. There was a group of free people of African and
European descent, known as Afranci, who were fed up with the discrimination and believed
that they should be economically and socially equal to the European colonists. There was
also the brutal mistreatment of enslaved people by slave owners. It's said that when the
Revolution began, Catherine's parents fled to France, but she stayed behind to fight for her homeland's freedom. She wasn't the only one. Many brave women fought in combat, worked as nurses, trained warriors, conducted acts of espionage, and led voodoo ceremonies to keep spirits high. Without these women, the Haitian Revolution might not have had the same kind of success. After over 10 years of struggle against the colonial forces, the
revolutionary groups held a three-day meeting in Arcé in May of 1803. Among other agenda
items, the design of the Haitian national flag was an important piece of business. Legend
has it that on May 18, 1803, Jean-Jacques Dessalines took the French flag and ripped
out the middle white strip, leaving only the red and blue bands. To them, the white represented
French colonial power. The removal of the white band reflected Haiti's rejection of
French violence, insincerity, and dishonesty. It's believed that Catherine, who was also
in attendance, picked up the remaining red and blue bands and sewed them together. This
illustrated the alliance between the blacks and the Afrances and their united front against the French whites. And it just so happened that red and blue in voodoo culture symbolized
love, health, energy, and passion. As she stitched, Catherine brought together the identity
and history of the Haitian people. Despite her place in Haitian independence, some historians
debate whether Catherine was real. Because the accounts of enslaved women are largely
missing from archival records, their stories and contributions to history go unnoticed.
Some scholars use this lack of tangible evidence to deny Catherine's existence entirely. But
whether an actual person by the name of Catherine Flon existed or not, it doesn't really matter
SPEAKER_00: because she represents something much bigger. Women's participation in the Haitian Revolution
and the truth that their domestic labor can be a revolutionary act. Now, while there may
be some disagreement about Catherine amongst historians, there's none among the Haitian people. For them, Catherine embodies liberation and independence. So on May 18th, Haitians celebrate Flag Day. Catherine is at the center of those celebrations. Young women often like
to dress as Catherine on national holidays and festivals. In 2000, the Haitian government
put her portrait on the Bill of Ten Gourd. They opened a secondary school in her honor.
And despite the Haitian flag undergoing design changes, Catherine Flon is always depicted seated in a rocking chair, wearing a headscarf, sewing together the red and blue bands of the French tricolor, and creating something new. All month, we're talking about revolutionaries.
For more information, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanaka Podcast. Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan for having me as a guest host. Talk to you tomorrow.
